Epilogue? What?
by Harry's My Boy
Summary: What if the final battle went differently? Not drastically, but differently. What would change?


Summary: What if the final battle went differently? Not drastically, but differently. What would change?

A/N: _Hey peoples! I realize that…. A year? Of ignoring Summer Changes is rather drastic. Let's say that I have the devil for a teacher and leave it at that. Plus, cheerleading is OFFICIALLY taking over my life, so I don't know when I 'm going to work on that. However, I have the rest all planned out, so that's SOMETHING. Anyway, THIS STORY: Ron and Hermione never kissed, ok? I mean, that's just sick. *shudders* I've modified that to just a bear hug and a thank you. A typical Hermione-esque response. Story takes place just after the King's Cross chapter. Is a ONE-SHOT!_

Epilogue? What?

Hermione's heart stopped when she saw the body hanging limply in Hagrid's arms. For a moment, the stopped battle didn't even exist. She broke through the lines, not even noticing the killing curses bouncing off of her body.

She sprinted across the field, leaving a trail of stunned or accidentally dead Death Eaters. She reached Hagrid with an accompanying swarm of tears. She didn't hear the strangled cries escaping from her lips. Everything was strangely quiet to her now. Hagrid placed Harry's body on the ground, and she took his head into her lap. Her fingers fluttered over his face, afraid to touch his bare skin.

Suddenly, the world had no meaning anymore. Neither did The War. Or The Battle. Anything.

She collapsed onto his chest, sobs racking her body as she also grabbed his hands. She just lay there, letting the self pity overwhelm her. And then she noticed something. Two somethings. Time and sound came back to her in a rush. His hands were warm and returning her hold. His face was still as impassive as ever, but from her position on his chest, she could hear a steady heartbeat. She knew this had to be a part of his plan. But that didn't stay her fury.

"Harry James Potter, you son-of-a-bitch," she whispered, giving the appearance of mourning. "If you are bloody pretending to be dead, I am going to kick your arse into next Tuesday." She moved so that her face and hair were covering his so he could reply.

"Tuesday is such a random day," he muttered into her ear. "Why don't you ever pick normal days like Wednesday or Friday or Saturday? Nothing important ever happened on a Tuesday."

"Harry Potter!" she whisper-yelled. "How _dare_ you?!?" She hit his chest as if in pain of his "departure."

"Ow, that bloody hurt!" he murmured into her hair.

"Don't you tell me _that_ hurt, you cheeky bastard." Hermione couldn't help smiling a little in relief.

Harry tutted in her ear. "Language, Miss Granger. You should learn how to act like a proper lady of society. Go and make me a sandwich." Hermione growled quietly in frustration. She heard him laugh quietly at his own joke.

"You are so lucky I put up with you," she murmured.

"Oh, tish tosh. You know you love me." She blushed slightly and was glad he couldn't see her face.

"How long do you plan to be 'dead'?" she whispered.

"Well, if you plan to keep holding me like this and your chest remains where it is, we could be here a while." Harry smirked.

"You randy pervert!" she muttered. Men and their sex-obsessed minds.

"Notice how you haven't moved." He murmured with a smile after a long silence.

"Do we actually have a plan?" she asked, ever the thinker.

"Well, Neville should be attacking Nagini with a sword pretty soon…"

"WHAT?" she shouted, sitting up. "… IS IT YOU WANT?" She shouted towards the sky, shaking her fist. She returned to his chest in embarrassment.

"Nice cover," he noted wryly. She blushed.

"You can't surprise me like that."

"The awkward silence in the middle of your sentence was a nice touch. I _totally_ believed that you were serious." He paused in thought. "If I'm _Avada Kedavra_'d now as a 'just in case,' I will never forgive you."

"It would serve you right; scaring me like that." She really didn't appreciate his cheek.

"How would you possibly live without me?" He whispered slyly.

"… with difficulty," she admitted. "Maybe not at all." They stayed in silence for a while. Suddenly Hermione had an idea. "You know, we may start looking suspicious," she whispered with a smile. "Just sitting here like this. Maybe I should do something emotional or something."

"Like what?" he asked, barely moving his lips.

In response, she kissed him full on the mouth. She still held his hands and kept them in place so he wouldn't react. They broke apart.

"See you after you finish the bugger off," she whispered with a "tearful" smile, and she stood up, pretending to be royally pissed off. Harry somehow managed to remain still through all this. Though he had to admit, he was confused as hell by it.

Hagrid picked him up again and Harry once more remained limp as a freshly dead body.

*LATER*

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" Harry shouted, and his voice brimmed with victory. Voldemort collapsed to the ground, his scarlet eyes finally lifeless. There was silence all around the battlefield. The remaining Death Eaters immediately collapsed to the ground with no preamble, dead on the spot. Harry looked around frantically, trying to find the only person he wanted to see. He finally found her across the battlefield. They made eye contact, and she smiled.

But Ginny decided to ruin this picture perfect moment. She had seen Hermione kiss Harry, and after it was revealed he was alive, she got to be rather pissed off. _She _was the one supposed to marry The-Man-Who-Conquered. _She_ was supposed to have all of the media attention. And _she_ was going to get it. "Harry!" she exclaimed and raced across the field, latching onto him. Harry tried to escape, but it was no use. She looked up at him with dewy eyes. "Oh, Harry, now we can get married!"

"Asphinctersayswhat?" he exclaimed.

"What?" She looked at him with confusion. He suppressed a laugh. "Harry, it's what we dreamed! You're free! We can get married, and have lots of children, and we'll be just like your parents!"

"… I don't think so." He mumbled, glancing at his sneakers. They really were fascinating colors. Gray… and white…. and black…. and gray.

"What?" she repeated.

He looked into her eyes. "Ginny, I don't want to marry you."

"We can date!" she immediately responded. She had been anticipating this.

"No, Ginny, I'm in love with someone else." He felt rather terrible.

"Someone… else?" she asked weakly.

"Yes," he replied. "Someone else."

"Oh," she was numb. What was her name again?

Harry left Ginny to be comforted by a rather awestruck Neville. He needed to find the real love of his life.

_Wayne's World. Wayne's World. Party Time. Excellent. Party on, WAyne. Party on, Garth. Ah, you gotta love Wayne's World jokes (*foxy* dancing... *foxy lady*). Ex-queeze me? A-baking powder?_

_Tada! Dunno if that was as good as the normals. I wrote this in Study Hall today, and I've been kind of out of touch with my super-ninja skills. I will work on a new chapter for Summer Changes, I promise!_

_Until next time,_

_HMB_


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